New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim, center, and members of the Taiwan Parliamentary Group for Tibet celebrate the group’s establishment in Taipei yesterday.Oct 08, 2016.(Photo courtesy: Wang I-sung, Taipei Times)

(TibetanReview.net, Oct09, 2016) – As promised during their last month’s visit to the Central Tibetan Administration at Dharamshala, India, a group of lawmakers have on Oct 7 established a cross-party Tibet Caucus in the Taiwan’s parliament, with New Power Party Legislator Mr Freddy Lim heading the group.

With the establishment of the new caucus, the Taiwanese parliamentary group for Tibet, the Legislature “will be better able to bring together the disparate voices of everyone who supports Tibet,” the CNA news agency Oct 7 quoted Lim as saying at a ceremony to mark the launch of the new group. Lim has also said the caucus will take part in the international activities of pro-Tibet parliamentary groups joining the debate on how best to help Tibetans politically.

The caucus began with nearly 30 lawmakers from different political parties joining it. They included former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, who is now a legislator-at-large for the opposition Kuomintang. Ms Xiao Mei Ching, Vice-chair of the caucus, has said she had attended the World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet several times and expressed her continued support for Tibet.

Chair of the Caucus Lim hopes that encouraged by the cross-party popularity of the Caucus, Tibet-related issues will now attract more attention in the Legislative Yuan. Lim has explained that key issues included supporting Tibetans living in Taiwan and including human rights issues in cross-strait discussions.

Mr Dawa Tsering, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Office of Tibet based in Taipei, was the chief guest at the launch ceremony. Members of the Tibetan Parliament in exile Mr Lobsang Dakpa and Ms Tsering Lhamo addressed the press during the ceremony.